3.5 Collective decries arrest of CADA leader
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 09 2021:
Coming out strongly against the arrest of secretary general of Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA), Thoubal district committee, Shintha Laishram alias Herojit, the 3.5 Collective today said that CADA is a well respected civil society organisation campaigning against the menace of drugs and alcohol in Manipur since its inception in 2006.As part of the ongoing campaign appealing that case of Lhoukhosei Zou be taken to a higher Court, CADA jointly organised a sit-in protest with Ningol Club on April 7, 2021 .
The protestors displayed several placards demanding that the case of Zou be taken to a higher Court, including a slogan "Chief Minister should resign".
Recalling the event that led to the arrest of the CADA secretary general, the 3.5 Collective alleged that the SP of Thoubal police, Dr Sarangthem lbomcha phoned the president of Ningol Club and expressed his annoyance with the slogan "Chief Minister should resign".
Later at around 1.30 pm on the same day, a team of Thoubal police led by OC of Heirok Police Station came to the house of Sofia and demanded for the banners and placards that they used during the protest, saying that the SP Thoubal would like to inspect them, it added.
As the placards were inside the house, she went inside the house to collect them but the male police commando also barged into her house without seeking any permission.
She demanded them to stay outside as it is a lady's room, but they refused and then the lady police personnel barged in searching for the placards.
They confiscated all the banners and placards, and whisked them away, it alleged.
The very same day another raid was also conducted at the house of Shintha Laishram at around 2 pm and he was taken away in front of his mother, said 3.5 Collective.
When his mother pleaded for the reason of the arrest, the police personnel told her that they also do not know the reason.
No arrest memo was issued.
His room was ransacked and thoroughly searched without any search warrant, it alleged.
He was initially taken to the Commando Barrack, Thoubal and later handed over to Thoubal Police Station.
He was allegedly slapped for not signing on an arrest memo with a fabricated charge as an over ground worker of an outlawed organisation, alleged 3.5 Collective and added that in the FIR he has been slapped with the fabricated charge of section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, it added.
The prayer for remand by H Johnny Sharma, SDPO, Thoubal to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal stated the place of arrest as Wangjing near Canteen Lampak, which is totally contradictory to the facts as he was arrested from his own house in front of a dozen witnesses including his own parents, alleged 3.5 Collective.
The arrest memo produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal District was not signed either by Shintha himself nor his family member/ members of the local community; rather it was signed by two police personnel namely Ch Layland Singh (constable number 0908326) and I Santosh Singh (constable number 17428) .
This is contrary to the law of the land, it added.
The 3.5 Collective alleged that this act of concocting false and fabricated charges is an act of reprisal for demanding appeal against Lukhosei Zou and others.
The 3.5 Collective further urged the Government of Manipur to drop all the false charges against human rights defender, Shintha Laishram and set him free immediately and reiterated their stand to fight for a drug free Manipur in line with Sustainable Development Goal number 3 target 5, and such act of reprisal will not deter their commitment.
Meanwhile, voicing the same demands, a sit-in protest was staged at Heirok Part-III Champrathong, Thoubal district, where Laishram ongbi Tampakleima, mother of Sintha Laishram expressed her anguish over the fabricated charges raised against her son by the Thoubal police and urged the State Government to release him without further ado.